Letter from Nina

      “Gary, ‘Mr. S. is here to see you and he brought his maracas.”   This message came over the walkie-talkie radio at camp Sunday morning.  One of Sherwood’s camp counselors was trying to get Gary’s attention without spooking 120 girls.  Gary and I looked knowingly at each other.  Laying down my copy of the latest Harry Potter book I said, “I’ll get the small garbage can with the tight-fitting lid.”  We met at the car and picked up Mike, the camp director, who also heard the message.  All three of us drove to the location where the counselor was standing a healthy distance from a 30-inch Timber Rattlesnake.  It was stretched across the middle of the gravel road, gently rattling its tail.

   The Timber Rattler had likely slithered down from the ridge in search of water.  It was a beautiful example of Crotalus horridus Linnaeus, looking exactly like the photo in The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri. “Timber Rattlesnakes are shy.  If encountered, they may remain motionless to avoid detection, relying on their color to camouflage them…Once disturbed, a specimen may quickly move away and try to escape, or coil into a defense posture and rattle.”Gosh darn, it if our Crotalus horridus acted just as the description.  Gary stated it was young, having shed its skin at least ten times according to the number of rattles that remained.  However, rattles cannot be used as an accurate method to determine age since they can fall off.  A Timber Rattler can shed its skin three to five times in an active season.  Ours had eaten some time in the last few days because it was still plump.  Gary and Mike looked like they had trained with Steve Austin as they quickly and gently worked “Mr. S” into the plastic bucket and tightly snapped the lid shut.  The snake was driven to an area far from the main camp and released.  Since none of us spoke snake language we hoped “Mr. S” would get the idea and stay away from the people area of camp.

   This is the time of year when many animals are on the move.  Purple Martins, shorebirds and hummingbirds will soon migrate.  Keep feeders full as hummers carbo-load for their journey. In this edition of Bird’s Eye View you will find an article on Black Bears making a comeback in Missouri.  Perhaps you will be lucky enough to encounter one as they begin to fatten up for the winter.  The end of the article contains hints for handling an encounter too close for comfort!  We also want to thank all those who made this years’ Birdathon a remarkable success.  The results are tallied up and reported.  Great birding and work from all those who participated.

CONSERVATION MATTERS

Sue & Mick

We beg to differ with Congresswoman Emerson but with the human population well past six billion we are not an endangered species! In a recent newspaper op-ed column, she assaulted the Missouri Coalition for the Environment and the Sierra Club for having more concern for the environment than for the welfare of human beings who, she claimed, are next in line to become endangered if “environmental extremists” have their way. The crux of her complaint is the efforts by MCE and Sierra Club to stop Ameren from rebuilding their self-destroyed reservoir atop Proffit Mountain. East Ozarks Audubon Society, by the way, is not opposed to the rebuilding provided it is done in a safe and environmentally sound manner. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is also raising questions about the rebuilding plans, especially concerns about run-off into the two streams at the mountain’s base. As local citizens, we can attest that Ameren made run-off problems more likely by stripping the hillside of all vegetation, right down to bare soil, despite advice against doing so by the Federal Energy Regulation Commission. While addressing nothing about these and other conservation matters, Ms Emerson has complete faith that Ameren has learned from its mistake, and a rebuilt plant will be completely safe and environmentally sound if only environmentalists just step aside: no watchdogs necessary, just trust the corporate powers to do the right thing.

We wonder if she intends to take critical aim at Governor Blunt as well. Public records show the governor’s staff recently urged the Missouri Highway Patrol to publicly criticize Attorney General Jay Nixon for not pursuing a criminal case against Ameren. Perhaps Congresswoman Emerson is forgiving of Blunt because there is little likelihood he really wants to impede Ameren: the governor only wanted to take a behind-the-scenes jab at his political rival. But using the Highway Patrol for political attacks is clearly improper and, in our opinion, a far graver travesty than questioning whether Ameren’s rebuild job is being properly and safely done.

…and money still speaks louder than protection for really endangered species. While $45 million will be spent this year to restore federally protected Piping Plovers and Least Terns along the Missouri River, the Army Corps of Engineers raised water levels to allow a single towboat to proceed up river, thereby killing chicks and eggs of both species. Despite its expensive program to build sandbars for terns and plovers, the corps accommodated Consolidated Blenders Inc. when the Nebraska company asked for higher water to move alfalfa pellets down the Missouri during nesting season.

In fact, while the human population is booming, many common bird species continue to decline. A recent study announced by National Audubon found that populations of twenty common American birds are half what they were 40 years ago, including the Meadowlark, Bobwhite, Whip-poor-will, Evening Grosbeak, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Boreal Chickadee, Common Tern, Loggerhead Shrike, Field Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Snow Bunting, Black-throated Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Common Grackle, American Bittern, Horned Lark, Little Blue Heron and Ruffed Grouse. While not endangered, such precipitous declines in our avian populations are indicators that there are serious problems needing serious solutions. Some experts predict that one-third of all life species will be gone by 2100.

An imaginative book, The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman takes a look at an imaginary world where humans suddenly leave the planet. The point is not how humans leave, be it by disease, food contamination or spaceship, but what would happen with their sudden disappearance. As reviewed in Newsweek, (7/23/07), “unless global warming has already progressed beyond the point of no return [the biosphere] would eventually recover much of its diversity and richness.” Birds would proliferate, elephants would expand in Africa and India, and the oceans would fill with fish. But the author concludes that eliminating humans is not necessary to achieving a better balance in the world and acknowledges that preserving our own species can compliment preservation of the other species. Weisman posits that a voluntary agreement limiting couples to one child each would, by the end of this century, stabilize the human population at about 1.6 billion, approximately what it was in 1900. Imagine!

Birdathon Results by Dollars and Birds

    Birder                                 Dollar                     # Species

Karen Adams                        $125.00                   102

Jenny Gunn                           $274.00                   59

Sue Hagan                             $205.00                   50

Elizabeth Koewing                $48.76                    

Bob Lewis                             $324.00                   95

Tom Mills                              $347.50                   118

Linda Tanner                          $50.00                   28

Lynne Winston                    $335.00                   50

Joan/Nicole McKenzie           $55.00                  58

Mary Woodney                     $35.00                   49

Donations by Chapter Members and Others

Bonnie Barron                        $25.00

Ann Blanchfield                     $65.40

Eric Hamburg                        $200.00

Ann Hampton                         $20.00

Stan Hardy                              $20.00

Steve Henroid                         $40.00

Jim Lyon                                  $50.00

Mary Medley                          $10.00

Janet Price                             $100.00

Michelle Soenksen                 $20.00

Nancy Steinmeyer              $19.00

Sally Whitener                        $50.00

                                            $2363.66

New National Audubon Memberships Recruited By Birders During 2007 East Ozarks Birdathon

Sara Adams                           Fenton, MO

Charlotte Arcand                 Bonne Terre, MO

Sue Battig                              Ironton, MO

Rob Bell                                 DeSoto, MO

George Bilbrey                      Salem, MO

Kay Bischoff                         Bonne Terre, MO

Craig Brooks                         St. Louis, MO

Leonard Butts                       Sullivan, MO

Mike Easter                           Park Hills, MO

Andy Free                             Waynesville, MO

Dale Gebhardt                       Ferguson, MO

Les/Doris Hagan                  Glenview, IL

Mike/Deby Hagan                Naperville, IL

Jim Hassell                            Farmington, MO

Gill Kennon                           Farmington, MO

Bob Laut                                Frederickton, MO

David Laut                            Farmington, MO

Gary Laut                               Farmington, MO

Jean Merrill-Doss                 Farmington, MO

Rose Mier                              Fredericktown, MO

Tom/Lynda Mills                 Festus, MO

Samuel Perry                         Whitley City, KY

Scott Prost-Domasky                Florissant, MO

Debbie Savage                     Manhattan, KS

Matt Sebastian                     Farmington, MO

Michelle Soenksen                Piedmont, MO

Sally Whitener                      Farmington, MO

Charlie Winston                   Kansas City, MO

Katie Winston                      Amherst, MA

Robin Winston                     Kansas City, MO

Dr. Sue Winston                  Haydenville, MA

Birds and Brides in Bulgaria:  A lesson in history, culture and of course, birds

A rapt audience was treated to an evening with Steve Dilks as he presented the history, culture, geography and birds of Bulgaria.  Steve recently traveled to Bulgaria for the second time with his wife, Aneta, who is from the city of Varna near the Black Sea.  We were charmed with the story of how the two of them met.  Steve’s presentation included a crisp slide show of each bird he sited.  He laid out tables of maps, photos, medieval helmets, etc. to give a complete picture.  Bulgaria is slightly larger than Tennessee.  Climate is similar to Missouri’s with one mountain range like the Rockies and the other like the Appalachians.  Bird watching has risen in popularity.  Due to the migration routes in Europe there are 421 birds on the Bulgarian checklist.  During the summer months it is possible to spot 206.  Many are the same as ours but there are also families of birds we do not have here in the United States.  Steve explained the differences between the birds in a manner that had many of us contemplating a trip to this lovely country.

Conservation Matters

Sue & Mick

Lowering hopes for Church? Just when we thought that the Governor Blunt, Attorney General Jay Nixon and Ameren UE were making progress on settling what the company must do in settlement for damages to Johnson Shut Ins and Black River, lo and behold we read a proposal by State Senator Kevin Engler to limit the lease of Church Mountain to DNR for less than 20 years! Clearly this undermines the Governor’s proposal for a 50 year lease and would clear the way for a second reservoir. The forested Ozarks is a major breeding area for neotropical bird species--Church Mountain and pristine Taum Sauk Creek form an area of outstanding riparian value, which also offer high quality wilderness opportunities connected with the two state parks.  Ameren has devastated one State Park and must not be permitted to destroy yet another big section of pristine Ozark territory. We also see that Senator Engler is promoting the notion of a cell-tower on their property for the benefit of Lesterville citizens—this is another bad idea which would negatively impact the night-time sky for park users. We hope that members will join us in letting Senator Engler know that his proposals are not acceptable. To email the Senator, go to the Missouri Senate web site: http://www.senate.mo.gov/webmail/mail_form.aspx

But hopes build for other wilderness area: East Ozarks Audubon Society is taking an active role in the Missouri Wilderness Coalition. This group is spearheading efforts to seek permanent protection on several tracts of the Mark Twain National Forest, including the beautiful Lower Rock Creek area which our Chapter has a long history of defending against bad management practices. Permanent Wilderness Designation is a difficult process, and it is recognized that support from the 8^th Legislative Congressional District—specifically from Congresswoman Emerson—would be extremely helpful. Go to http://www.house.gov/emerson/contact/ to register your comments. For details on the proposed wilderness areas, go to: http://www.mowild.org/

Getting the lead out: In Washington County, federal regulators plan to spend up to $8.5 million
on the cleanup of mining sites. Two hundred and thirteen contaminated yards in the County are targeted for soil removal, and bottled drinking water is being delivered to 244 homes because of contaminated wells. The prevalence of Washington County children with elevated levels of lead in their blood was more than twice the state average last year. State geologists have identified more than 9,000 places in 38 counties where lead, barite, zinc and copper once were found, and in most cases mined. By the end of next year, state and federal regulators hope to know how many more small mining sites within Missouri will require further cleanup.

Selling power to the utilities: Home owners with solar and wind power systems in Missouri say they are impeded in reaching terms with utilities that would enable them to put excess generation back on the grid. A 2002 Missouri law established some standards, but renewable-energy advocates, environmentalists and legislators say the state's rules are too cumbersome and fall short of their intended goals. Missouri had only two residential net-metering customers in 2005, the most recent data available. By contrast, California had more than 17,000. Currently waiting Governor Blunt’s signature is the Easy Connect Act that would make it easier for consumers to install renewable energy and have net-metering.

Missouri Acting on Greenhouse Gas: Led by California and New England, 31 states representing more than 70 percent of the U.S. population will jointly track and measure greenhouse gas emissions by major industries. Missouri is among the states in the group. The newly formed Climate Registry is the latest example of states going further than the federal government in taking steps to combat global warming. The emissions statistics that are collected, starting next January, will be subjected to third-party verification.

Good news is sometimes no news: In the ending days of the legislative season in Jefferson City, bills to change regulations on sand and gravel mining failed to go any place. Likewise, proposals that exempted factory farms from local control failed to move. For more details, look up the Missouri Votes Conservation (www.movotesconservation.org); these are fine people defending our environmental rights! 

Annual Banquet Set for September 20^th

At Farmington Methodist Church

     When you enter the church you’ll no doubt get a savory whiff of that Bonne Terre ham that Nancy Steinmeyer will have been tending all day long. After she gets it going she even takes a nap while the ham does its work.

   So that sets the stage for the annual banquet of East Ozarks Audubon Society.  Let’s see, this should be the 27^th time we’ve sat down together for this delicious repast.  Some of our members weren’t even born yet when we held the first one.

   Besides the ham, the thing that makes this affair so good is the array of vegetables, salads and desserts that our members are able to conjure up.  Seems like every gal brings her own best secret recipe for the gorgeous platters of goodies.

   Greg Rudroff will be giving us a program called “Come walk with me and see.”  Greg is a photographer of nature and even has published several books.  Vice President Janet Price says he takes shots of things in the natural world that are all around us but that most people fail to take notice of.

   She says, “You’ll be so enthralled with his discoveries that you’ll want to buy one of his books or a framed copy of his work.”

   So the things to remember are:

6:00 p.m. Thursday, September 20^th 2007.

Farmington Methodist Church.

Bring vegetable, salad or dessert.

Chapter will furnish ham, drinks, bread and table service.  See you there!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Work Day at Crouch Sanctuary

Delayed Until Summer Heat Tapers Off

   Members will get a chance for “hands on” work at Dr. F.R. Crouch Nature Sanctuary in late summer or early fall when temperatures drop below egg-frying time.

   Gary Chastain has agreed to bring his years of park like experience to chair the Sanctuary Committee and to focus on items that might be done.  Gary has been involved in the operation of Sherwood Forest Youth Camp near Lesterville most of his adult life.

   Number one on the work list will be spreading mulch on the trail and around the bird viewing blind.  We have a couple of wheelbarrows for this project but could use at least two more.

   Volunteer workers should bring shovels and work gloves.  The project should only last two to three hours so there is no need to bring a lunch.

   We’ll be calling the list of those who volunteered at the May meeting but if you’re not on that list and think you’d like a couple of hours of fun and fellowship, call Gary at 573 637-2499 or Bob Lewis at 573 756-5484.

Pickle Springs Fall Picnic is October 20^th

   There will be a chill in the air, no doubt, when we get together to enjoy the annual Pickle Springs fall picnic at Charlie and Faye Sitzes’ home.

   Charlie will have a big fire in the fire ring in the side yard of the house.  You can draw your lawn chair up close to the fire or if you’re really cold you can just sit down on the wall of bricks surrounding the fire.

   Charlie will have a roast beef cooking in an iron kettle and may even have a fruit cobbler all ready for dessert.

And of course Faye will have everything organized for placement of the food we all bring.  By the way, bring a vegetable, salad or dessert to share.  And bring your lawn chair to be sure there’s a place to sit.

   Those who wish to attend the two-mile hike to the springs and back, should arrive around 3 o’clock.  But the main business (food) will be at 5 o’clock.

   If you need directions to Pickle Springs, drive MO-32 east from Farmington for about 5 miles to Highway A.

Turn right on “A” and drive several miles to Dorlac Road on your left.  It’s only a couple hundred yards from here to the Sitze home.  There will be more information in the October Bird’s Eye View.

                        Calendar of Events

Work Day at the Sanctuary

As soon as hot weather days are over in early September, we’ll get some new mulch delivered to Crouch Nature Sanctuary.Thanks to all that signed up for a work day, We’ll be making some phone calls to set a date.Wear work gloves and if you have them, bring shovels and wheelbarrows.  Bob Lewis  756-5484

Chapter Annual Meeting

6:00 p.m  September 20, 2007.

Farmington Methodist Church

Bring salad, vegetable or dessert.

Chapter to furnish ham, bread, drinks

Chapter to furnish tableware

Program is Greg Rudroff, nature photographer

Silent Auction also

Pickle Springs Bash

October 20, 2007

Yep, Charlie and Faye Sitzes are at it again.

Pickle Springs Hike 3:00 p.m.

Charlie’s roast beef 5:00 p.m

Bring vegetable, salad or dessert

and bring your lawn chair.

   According to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the Earth’s average surface temperature has increased 1.3 degrees F over the past 100 years.  Most scientists agree that this increase is caused by human activity—primarily the burning of fossil fuels.

   Even small increases in average global temperatures can have devastating effects on people, wildlife and the places we live.  Rising temperatures in the Arctic have already reduced average ice cover, disrupting the feeding habits of Polar Bears and the way of life of Inuit communities.  Reduced rainfall in parts of the tropics and subtropics is wreaking havoc on food production and wildlife habitat alike.

   Like many other organizations around the world, Audubon believes that the actions we take today can slow and eventually reverse these and other damaging patterns, protecting the quality and diversity of life on Earth for present and future generations.

Couldn’t global warming just be a natural occurrence?

   It’s true that Earth’s climate has always been in flux.  Periods of warming have followed ice ages.  A decade of warmer temperatures can be followed by a decade off cooler temperatures.  But the current warming trend has been documented over a period of more than one hundred years.  And it’s occurring much faster than previous episodes of global warming.

What causes global warming?

   In its February report the IPCC (established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme) expressed more than 90 percent confidence that global warming is caused by human activity, namely an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide, methane, and other heat-trapping “greenhouse” gases in the atmosphere.

   Like glass in a greenhouse, these gases allow the sun’s heat through the atmosphere, but then trap much of it near the Earth’s surface.  For billions of years they have played an important role in maintaining the proper temperatures for life to thrive.

   But since the Industrial Revolution human activity has led to a dramatic increase in the amount of these heat-trapping gases.  Carbon dioxide levels have risen from pre-Industrial levels of 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million.  The amount of methane, another greenhouse gas, has more than doubled.  The result has been a measurable warming trend called global climate change or, more specifically, global warming.

How do we know global warming is really happening?

   Recent studies offer a stark portrait of a rapidly changing world:

~ Temperatures have risen about 1.3 degrees since the late 19^th Century.  Greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere have increased by 18% (nitrous oxide), 35% (carbon dioxide), and 148% (methane).

~ Mountain glaciers and snow cover are declining in most parts of the world.

~ The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are melting and breaking up.

~ The areas covered by Arctic sea ice in winter has shrunk about 2.7% each decade since 1978, with even greater summertime reductions.

    Global sea levels rose between 5 and 9 inches during the 20^th Century.

~ The North Atlantic has shown increased hurricane intensity since 1970.

~ Precipitation amounts have increased in northern Europe, the eastern Americas and parts of Asia.  Elsewhere, droughts have become longer and more severe.

What are the likely impacts of global warming if it continues at current rates?

   Most experts agree that at current rates of greenhouse gas buildup, the climate could warm by about 3.5 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit sometime after 2050 and the average global temperature might rise even higher.  Expected consequences of such warming include major disruptions to agriculture, water supplies and the diversity of life on Earth.

   The Greenland ice sheet could disappear in several thousand years.

   Hurricanes and typhoons are expected to become more intense. 

   Precipitation is expected to increase at high latitudes and decrease in subtropical areas. 

   Moreover, if greenhouse gases continue to build at even a moderate rate, experts predict that sea levels will be 7 to 24 inches higher by 2100, causing devastating erosion and flooding of the coastal cities and villages where millions of Earth’s inhabitants live.

Can anything be done to stop global warming?

   No matter what we do now, global warming will continue and will cause serious changes in our climate.  However, prompt and dramatic action is likely to slow its rate of increase and to avoid some of the worst potential consequences.  Experts say the most important action is to move away from burning massive amounts of fossil fuels, especially coal and oil, and to aggressively pursue nonpolluting energy options.

   Every time we burn fossil fuels to drive our cars, heat our homes, run our factories, light our cities, and more, we release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  Our greenhouse gas emissions have increased in recent decades because of both human population growth and the rising rates of affluence and consumption.

   Larger houses, bigger and faster cars and SUVs and more airplane travel all mean more energy consumption.  In fact, the United States, with only about 5% of the global population, contributes about 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions because our fuel consumption is so high.

   Some scientists are also studying another strategy called carbon sequestration.  Earth’s plants, soils and oceans absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide.  Some scientists believe that we can protect and improve natural resources such as tropical forests that absorb large amounts of carbon.  We may even be able to inject excess carbon dioxide deep into the earth

My First Birdathon (by Mary Woodney)

   On April 28^th I participated in my first Birdathon at Sue and Mick’s country estate.  They had graciously invited all members to their home and woods when it was decided that the event on the Courtois River would not be suitable.

   With the help of several more-advanced birders, Bob Lewis, Jenny Gunn and Sue Hagan, I was able to identify 18 species of birds that I had not seen or heard in our home woods that day.   Six of those were warblers which are hard for me to identify by sound.

   The Green Heron, Broad-winged Hawk and Tree Swallow were special treats for me as I have not seen or heard them in our woods.

   When I got back home that afternoon I immediately took a walk to identify more.  The excitement was mounting.  I had to see how many more I could find.  I then went to farmer’s fields nearby and identified Northern Bobwhite, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Meadowlark and Red-winged Blackbird.

   I was hoping to see Red-headed Woodpecker (since I frequently see him on Worley Road) and the Killdeer, which nests on our Green Acres Lane.

   Wouldn’t you know it?  The woodpecker showed up at our picture window the NEXT day and the Whip-poor-will and Killdeer were also tardy until a day late (after the early April freeze) so I couldn’t count them either

   In all, I saw or heard 30 different species in our woods or nearby in a single day plus the 18 at Sue and Mick’s—48 in all!  I was very impressed for my first Birdathon.  Thanks, Sue, for all the encouragement. 

At Sue and Mick’s I got:

White-eyed Vireo, Black & White Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Field Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, White-throated Sparrow, Blue-winged Warbler, Green Heron, Northern Parula, Kentucky Warbler, Turkey Vulture, Broad-winged Hawk, Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Towhee.

Back home I got these birds:

Red-eyed Vireo, Bluejay, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, American Robin, Brown-headed Cowbird, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Purple Martin, Canada Goose, Barred Owl, Chuck-Will’s-Widow, Mourning Dove, Eastern Phoebe, Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Mockingbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark and Northern Bobwhite.